Tube cleaner



April 13 1926. 1,581,005

J. J. MCANDREWS TUBE CLEANER Filed Dec. l2,- 1922 3 Sheets-Sheet l :z;l? l' lun/Euro1? -a John .7. Mfndre wsf 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 12,1922 mm mmmrmnmm l IN1/Enron 7071/111 17.' M'ndrws WITNESSES ma/ms April13 ,1926. l 1,581,005

J. J. MCANDREWS TUBE CLEANER Fl'ed Deo. 12, 1922 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Z4 Z5.37 Z 74 WITNESSES /N VEN TOR .7'0 71,111/ IMQ/indre we ca/MW i Patentedpr. 13, 1926.

UNITED .STATES JOHN J'. MCANDREWS, OF SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA.

PATENT restate Price. l

TUBE CLEANER.

. Application inea December 12, 1922. Semi n. 606,466.

To all lwhom it may con-cem: y l

Be 1t known that I, Jol-IN J. MoANDnnws,

a. citizen of the United States, and a'resiprovide an improvedconstruction for blowing the soot from either a water tube'boiler orfire tube boiler wherein the cleaning operation may be carriedonefticiently, without interrupting the use of the boiler.-

Another object of the invention is to provide a cleaning device forboiler tubes wherein one or more sets\oi' `jets are arranged to blowinto the tubes at different times while the boiler is in use, thearrange ment being such that all of the tubes may be cleaned in aminimum time. i

A further object of the invention is to provide a cleaning. apparatus'lorboilers wherein jets of steam under pressure are directed .into thetubes not only ofthe boiler but of the air heating device associatedtherewith so that all olf the tubes through which the lame'orl smolrepasses may be quickly and readily cleaned at any time.

A still 'further object of the invention is to provide a cleaningapparatus for boiler tubes which may be left in place continually and atdesired times brought into operative.

position so as to clean out successively the tubes in groups.

In the accompanying drawings- Figure l is a longitudinal verticalvsectional view through a boiler showing a cleaner embodying theinvention applied thereto.

` Figure 2 is a transverse sectional View through Figure 1 approximatelyon line 2 2, the same showing the arrangement of certain parts of thecleaner. g

Figure 3 isa side elevation partly in section of the lower end of oneset of cleaning tubesand associated parts7 the same being on an enlargedscale. n

Figure .e is a top plan view of the structure showny in Figure 3.

Figure `\\5 is a bottom plan view of the rack shown in Figure 3.

Figure 6 is an enlarged fragmentary sec* tional view through one of thejets shown 'sirable in'di'liierent-l'iinds or' boilers.

in Figuresl together withasection of the supplyl pipe carryingthe same.f Y

Referring to the accompanying drawings by numerals, 11 indicates aboiler which mayl be of any type but which in the drawing isv shown afire tube boiler.y As is well known,tliis boiler is provided with a num`ber of tubes 12 ofusual construction and also witha number of largetubes V13. Ar-y ranged in the smokestack or draftmember 14 is Vadevicelwacting as a heater for heating the air used in the nre box 16;The 'heater 15 is provided with-a number of tubes 17 similar to tubes 12and, consequently, Vaccunnilating soot to a greater or less extent sotnatthey need `be cleaned at desirable intervals and according tothepresent` invention, means have been provided for cleaning the samesimultaneously with cleaning the tubes 12. Y i

In constructing the cleaner embodying the invention7 a number ofvariations may be used without departing` 'from the spirit of theinvent-ion,` certain variations being de'- In the boiler shown in theaccompanying-drawings, preferably f there are arranged `:three sets oftubes 18 and 19; said sets 'forthe 4purpose, o1 description4V maybeknownjas A, B and C. Each of theftubes 18 and 19'act asa header orsupply pipe for vsteam for a num ber'or jets 20 which may be of anydesired kind but preferably oi the type lshown in Figure 6. It will benoted from Figure6` that the bore ot the nozzle oir-jet 20V tapers thenflaresoutwardly to the outer end 23. This particular form or' nozzle isintended to give the desired velocity tothe steam as it strikes orrather as it enters the various tubes 12-whereby the tubes will beiilled with steam and, consequently, the soot will be quickly blowntherefrom. By flaring-the outery part of the .bore oi' the nozzle, the.steam does not enter. the tubes 12 in 'al small stream and graduallyspread soinewhere in the tube but is expanded until the jet of steam isabout of the same diameter as the bore of the tubes 12 as the sameenters said tubes. VThis will cause the tubes to be tho-roughly cleanedquickly. It will be noted that Vthe respective pipes 18V and 19 extendvertically so as to` take in at one time one set or vertical series oftubes 12 and to clean all of these tubes at one time.

Afrom the'end 21 to a central point 22 and for each group or set oftubes18 and 193- have been cleaned.

It will be notedk from Figure 2" thatby reason of -tlie'fac't that theheaders 18, and 19 are both' connected with Ithe samebase 24, which ishollow, these two headers will y be moved simultaneously tand,consequently, therew-i'llbe two vertical-rows of tubes 112 cleaned atthe saine time. `As indicated in 'Figure 3, the base 24 is securedto arack bar 25' by any suitable. means, as for "in stance,.straps 26, saidrack Vbarfhavingla centrally positioned rack 27 Vand depending siderails 28v and 29 adapted to rest on the various'rollers 30. vThe base 24isprovided with a` st ufling box 31 'through which a pipe`32 extends andiii which it is slidingly fitted so that the base 24may be telescopedthereover 'as :the headers 18 and 19 ofgroup or set A move from theposition shown in Figure 2 .toward the right. The pipe 32 is connectedto a supply ypipe 33 and may be supplied with steam therefromwheneverthe valve 34 is opened. The rack 25 is provided with a fewapertures B5 registering .with suitableapertures in the base' 24 so thatsmalljets of steam maybe projected downwardly therethrough forcleaningthe rack 27 and associated parts including the driving pinioiifS. vThisdrivingk pinion `,continually meshes with rack 27 and yis supported lbya shaft-37 which is `journa'led in they angle bar 38 and the channeliron 39'. This angle bariand channel iron, together with .the rollers 30and associatedparts,Y

make what issubstantially a track for the base 24 and the .rack bar 25'whereby it may travel freely back and forth and perfo-rm its functionsas desired.` y y lIn orderthat the base 24.mayno.t leave the rollersorswing the saine,a plate 40 acting ,as a retaining bracket is rigidlysecured by bolts-or otherwise to the channel iron 39 and overlaps theraek'bar '25. `This rack .bar is, therefore, prevented from risingupwardly and is prevented from moving outwardly away from the bar-byreason of the various antiefriction rollers 41 jour# naled in thechannel iron-39. The shaft 37 yextends not only through the channel iron39 but also outwardly and .through the-'lower 4part ofthe hood 14 wherea suitable crank 42 is mounted so `.that .as this crank is rotated,shaft 37 will bev rotated and, consequently, the set or section A willbe moved.

The sets or sectionsB and C are Aconstructed identically with set A andare operated preferably actuated by independent cranks 42 so that-"thererwill only be tworlieaders working at a time:

As indicated in Figure 2, there are divisionp'latesforslreets 43:and 44forming part of the smoke box 14 whereby by reason of tflie'iindependentoperation of the various sections A, B and C, these will not pre-`vent*:inefficientoperation of the device. In

case the device should be used on a boiler where these plates: are notprovided, the -operation will be the saine. Arranged'near lthe upper endofthe smoke'box 14 are pipes or rods :45 and 46 which extendV.preferably entirely'acrossthe end of the boiler soas to act asa guideyfor vthe V'various ysections A, B andC and to prevent any appreciableoutward or inward swinging offthe headers V18 `and`19. Preferably, eachof theseiheaders is provided with a horizontal auxiliary header 47provided wit-li suitable nozzles 2O so that as 'the various headers movefrom one set of tubes 12 to the other, the

auxiliary header 47 will move from one set of tubes 17 'to the other andthereby l'clean these tubes simultaneously ywith the cleaning of tubes12. It is, of course, evident that if'the 'heating device 15 is notused, the auxiliary vheader couldbe eliminated.

l`In most steam boilers, a set oflarge tubes 13 are providedandin orderto-clean these tubes, a fixed or stationary pipe 48 isposi- -tionedsubstantially as shown in Figure 1 and 'suitable nozzles v.mounted'therein posif tioned to direct the steam into 'both -sets of tubes.This is av permaii'entfixture andthe 'steam `may be turned on and off atany time. lVhen the device 'is not in luse, the various headers aremovedl to one .side ofthe tubes or asmuch out of the way as possible andleft in place but Ythe-steam is, ofcourse, turned off.' yAs positioned,theheaders will not effect a proper draft but willalways be in 'positionfor, use atany time.- The-re `certain gradeso-f oil vare usedk to heatthe boiler, more yor less soot is depositedand,

consequently, `it is :desirable to clean the .tion of' the 'variousheaders when `tlie\device is in use, a dial 49 is secured to Ethesniokebox or to some other stationary part fand a pointer 50 lsecured to therespective Ishafts 37. The poiiiterand dial are so yprofe-lated andpositioned in respect to theiheadersand the boiler that the operator`may easily know where the headers. are located and whether or not theyare directly in front of the various tubes. Vliat I claim is ias 1. Aboiler tube cleaner, comprising aV Aplurality'of setsof headers, aplurality of 130 nozzles carried by each header, a hollow base connectedwith the lower Y ends of *said headers, a supply steam pipe extendinginto one end of said base, there being a sliding connection between thesupply steam pipe and the base, means for moving the base transverselyofthe boiler, a fixed plate overlapping part ofthe base for preventingthe base from leaving` its normal position and swiiigiirg` outwardly,and a rod co-acting with the upper end of said headers for preventingthe headers from swinging away from said boiler at the upper end.

2. A cleaner for boiler tubes, comp-rising a plurality of headers, aplurality of nozzles carried by each of the headers, means forsupplyiifig` steam to said headers, av rack connected with saidheaders,a gear-associated with said rack, means for rotating said gearso as to move said headers from one set of tubes to another, a pluralityof supporting rollers for said rack and headers, and means forpreventing lateral moving of said headers, said means including,` a plu'ality of rollers and a retaining bracket.

3. In a cleaner for tubes of steam boilers, a header, a plurality ofnozzles carried by said header, a hollow base carrying said header,means for supplying` steam to said base while allowing the base to movetransversely of the boiler, a rack secured to said base, a pinionmeshing with said rack, a shaft secured to said pinion, means for ro-'tating said shaft, a track including a pair of from moving` off of thefirst mentioned!` rollers while movingI thereover.

4. In a boiler tube cleaner, a header, coinpi'ising a base, a rack ofsubstantially the same length as the header rigidly secured to the undersurface thereof, a stationary steam supply tube extending` into saidheader, means surrounding said tube and carried by said base forproviding a tight'connection as the base moves back and forth over saidtube, a fired rotatable pinion ine-Shing, with said rack, vertically andhorizontally ar ranged rollers for supporting and guiding said rack,means for rotating said pinion, and a stationary ,fixed plateoverlapping part of said rack for preventing the same from leaving` saidpinion and also preventing said header from moving outwardly at thebottom.

' JOHN J.. MCANDREVS.

